Walmart employee offered job back after being fired for helping assault victim in store parking lot

Kimberly Craig, WXYZ

7:42 PM, Oct 20, 2013

7:42 PM, Oct 20, 2013

HARTLAND, MI (WXYZ) - "The last thing I expected was to not have a job," said Kristopher Oswald, 30, who was fired from Walmart this week after he intervened to help a woman who was apparently being assaulted in the parking lot of the store.

After the story received international attention, Walmart offered Oswald his job back Sunday. A spokesperson from Walmart says that they have reviewed the facts and understand Oswald's intentions were good.

The initial incident happened around 2:30 a.m. outside the Walmart store in the Michigan town of Hartland.

Oswald, who worked stocking pet food on the overnight shift at Walmart, was spending his lunch break in his car when he heard a woman screaming and a man hanging onto the hood of her car.

At first, Oswald wondered if it was just people horsing around recklessly, but when he walked over to see if the woman was really in danger, he says the man began to attack him, punching him in the head while yelling "I'm going to kill you".

Oswald tells Scripps sister station WXYZ that he was able to get on top of the man and just when he thought he had him under control, two other men jumped Oswald from behind.

Livingston County Sheriff deputies were quick to arrive, but Oswald says he wasn't expecting what Walmart did next.

The company fired Oswald and the reason given on his termination papers states: "after a violation of company policy on his lunch break, it was determined to end his temporary assignment".

Oswald only began working for Walmart about seven weeks ago and would not have been considered a permanent hire until a 180-day probation period ended.

Oswald says Walmart has policies against workplace violence to prevent employees from assaulting co-workers or tackling a shoplifter, but that it appears nothing allows for them to assist in situations of imminent danger and self-defense.

"I don't even know what to put on an application about all of this. How do I say this ended?" Oswald said after the initial firing.

When asked if he would do it all over again, Oswald replied, "I will always do the right thing."

When asked if he would take his job at Walmart back, Oswald sighed, hesitated and then said that he wasn't sure.

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.